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Friday, September 23, 2011

One doesn't equal all

During the shootout at tonight's Flyers/Red Wings game in London, Ontario, someone threw a banana peel at Wayne Simmonds. Assumed to be a racist action, the trolls of the internet went wild in the wrong direction. Instead of shaming the one fan that did it, Irresponsible people have turned all the fire onto the Red Wings fan base. It wasn't a home game. They were not playing in Detroit. But instead of looking at the residents in the city of London or considering all possibilities, most have chosen to attack the city of Detroit and all it's fans.

I am not a racist. I do not appreciate being lumped into that category for the actions of one person who's affiliations are not known. Where was I during Banana Gate? At home, annoyed that Philly doesn't allow out of market streaming of games. Guilty by association via the potential that we might like the same sports team doesn't fly with me. If someone sets a house on fire or shoots someone, am I now guilty because we are from the same place? Do I now take responsibility for everyone's actions? That's unfair to assume that everyone believes as that one clown does. It's also unfair to assume that the fan wasn't a fan of another team. Who's to say that fan wasn't a fan of a different team? To be honest, we don't know anything of this person.

The actions of that person are deplorable. I hope they find the person and make them an example. That being said, the actions of one don't represent all. If the person was a Wings fan, it doesn't mean that all Wings fans are racists. If the person was just someone from London, it doesn't mean that every person from London is a racist. One person's stupidity does not represent an entire section of people.